“We do spend time here,” said Inspector Simon Whitehead, who leads policing across the Rother District. “It’s just that resources have to be prioritised because of demand.”
The Sussex Police officer was speaking during last week’s Safer Rye meeting at the Rye Youth Zone on Mermaid Street on 8 July. It was called by local businesses after recent incidents of anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
He urged everyone in Rye – whether they own a business or not – to report any crimes. “There’s nothing to be gained by not reporting. If it’s a crime in progress call 999. Otherwise call 101 or report it online.” He explained how every report contributes to intelligence, crime statistics and future resource allocation but acknowledged there is a perception telling the police is ineffective. He stressed how not reporting made it harder to justify additional patrols.
The meeting heard the Rother Police team covers a very large geographical area, not just Rye but Bexhill, Battle, and the surrounding villages. There are three sergeants, six police constables and 16 police community support officers.
There have been 266 neighbourhood patrols in Rye over the last year he said, describing a patrol as when officers speak to people or walk through the town rather than driving through.
He explained how statistically Rye is a relatively low area for both crime and anti-social behaviour. Bexhill receives significantly more officer time than Rye because it has ten times the demand. “None of this detracts from the fact what individual people are going through is not acceptable.” He acknowledged how a small number of repeat offenders was currently having a disproportionate impact on how safe people feel and committed to dealing with them.
As well as reporting crime he urged local businesses to invest in CCTV and join the DISC scheme, a reporting system he said was working well in Bexhill to cut levels of shoplifting. “CCTV is fantastic. There are some really good quality systems that are relatively cheap these days. The footage greatly increases the likelihood of identifying offenders. Report it and record it and work with us.”
Inspector Whitehead also urged caution when using social media, particularly in identifying young people on Facebook. It escalated tensions he said, and could compromise investigations.
He committed to relaunching the DISC scheme in Rye, as well as improving local engagement. He promised to work closely with Rye Youth Zone, schools, businesses and community organisations.
The next Safer Rye meeting is in January.
Image Credits: Chris Lawson , James Stewart .